INTRODUCTION Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a progressive inflammatory disease of the pancreas accompanied by abdominal pain and in late stages, by exocrine and endocrine insufficiency. The etiology of CP include alcohol abuse, hereditary, ductal obstruction, tropical pancreatitis, systemic diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus and cystic fibrosis etc.), and idiopathic. Alcohol abuse accounts for 70-80% of cases of chronic pancreatitis in the West and about 40% in India. The intensity of injury depends on the duration and amount of alcohol consumed. Hereditary pancreatitis transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait accounts for a small subset of all cases of CP, and occurs due to mutation in cationic trypsinogen gene. Pancreatic duct obstruction may be secondary to trauma, pseudocysts, calcific stones or tumors and leads to obstructive CP (1). Tropical pancreatitis is a condition of unknown etiology that is seen predominantly in south India and other tropical areas of the World. Young patients are commonly affected with this disease. Cassava consumption had been proposed as an etiological factor due to its cyanogenic glycoside content however no epidemiological study has proved this hypothesis (2). Malnutrition has been suggested as an etiological factor in tropical pancreatitis. Idiopathic pancreatitis accounts for a substantial number of cases.